This post contains affiliate links. Click here to read my affiliate policy.
Last Updated on December 16, 2023
French cuisine sits on the UNESCO Intangible Heritage Lists because of its hefty contribution to the world of artful cooking. The French even think of food as sacred. Part of the French tradition, like Italian cuisine, takes the freshest and best quality ingredients that you can afford to put into a meal. French food favors the least amount of processing possible with healthier ingredients. Let’s have a look at some of the best French recipes and how to prepare them.
Chicken Basquaise
A classic French Basque dish, the Chicken Basquaise makes for a wonderful meal for the middle of the week. Slowly roasted in pepper sauce, called piperade made from melted red and green peppers, shallots, garlic and tomatoes, the simple elegance of Chicken Basquaise has come to define French Basque cooking. To put it into perspective, the Basque region shows a particular affection for colorful and peppery stews. The Basque country covers 20,000 square kilometers and sits between France and Spain. Chicken and rice and olives and peppers are all typical foods that you might find in Western Mediterranean cuisine. Perhaps this all sounds highly interesting, and you would like to one day become a chef. However, you worry about the cost of cooking school. You might seek a private lender to finance college to take your skills to the next level.
Crepes Suzette
A caramelized sauce made from sugar and butter and tangerine or orange juice as Crepes Suzette is a French dessert. This classic dessert consists of French pancakes and orange-infused butter. At the turn of the 20th century, French crepes became popular in Parisian restaurants. A waiter during this time set the crepe sauce creme aflame and served the dish to the Prince of Wales. He loved the sauce to such a degree that he requested that they name the sauce after his dinner companion, Suzette. You can fill them with many ingredients like strawberries or truffles.
Fromage Blanc Spread
An easy-to-make cheese of French origin, this delicious cheese spread mixes herbs and spices. You can use it as an alternative to ricotta or cream cheese. This strongly flavored cheese dip has been used for bread with pasta or with corn chips. It can also be considered when doing food and wine pairing when entertaining. It only takes around 15 minutes to make, and you can even serve it as a dessert similar to how you would eat yogurt. This is also a low-calorie alternative to cream cheese. It’s important to note that it may not be completely calorie-free, but it is less than cream cheese.
Basque Pipérade with Seared Tuna Steaks
Seared tuna steaks with Basque Piperade, this classic French dish comes cooked with the famous regional chili. To put this delicious dish into perspective, you sauté onions, peppers, and tomatoes to add a sweet Basque flavor to the tuna. Piperade itself marks perhaps the most patriotic dish in the region. Here, you will find it served with everything including fish, meat and scrambled eggs. An expert tip when preparing piperade is that the longer it cooks, the sweeter it becomes. Provided you have the time available, let it simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours. Piperade was named after the town of Espelette.
